Charles spiro



(No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 1.

0. SPIRO. RIBBON FEED SHIFTER FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES.

No. 438,901. Patented Oct. 21, 1890.

5 II III! MIMI"! umttmt nammnmmmg (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

. O. SPIRO.

RIBBON FEED SHIFTEB. FOR TYPE WRITING MAGHINES.

No. 438,901. Patented 0013.21, 1890.

NH/imam UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES SPIRO, OF NEw YORK, N. Y.

RIBBON-FEED SHIFTER FOR TYPE-WRITING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 438,901, dated October 21, 1890.

Application filed May 17, 1889. Serial No. 311,127. (No model.) Patented in England June '7, 1889, No. 9,491, and in Germany June 18,1889,N0. 52,601.

. To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES SPIRo, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ribbon-Feed Shifters for Type-WVriting Machines, (for which I have obtained patents in Germany, No. 52,601, of June 18,1889, and in Great Britain, No. 9,491, of June 7, 1889, and have made application in France,) of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention has relation to type-writers,

I5 and has particular reference to the ink-ribbon-feed mechanism, the object of the invention being to provide mechanism which shall automatically reverse the direction of the movement of the inking-ribbon.

2o Another object of the invention is to construct the carriage guide-rod so as to facilitate the removal of the carriage from the machine. This portion of the invention has an advantage in connection with the ribbon-feed mechanism'above mentioned in that it facilitates access to the parts involved.

In most type-writing machines the ink-rib bon is given a step-by-step movement either before or after each impression of a type, the purpose being to present anew surface of the inking-ribbon after each successive impression. By my invention the change in the direction of the step-by-step movement of the ink-ribbon when the end thereof approaches the printing-point is accomplished automatically and without the necessity of stopping the machine.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan. Fig. 1 is a section on the line y of said Fig. 1, illustrating the manner in which the carriage-rod is removably connected to the frame of the machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section about on the line as m of Fig. 1 of a machine of the class described provided with my improvements. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a portion of the ribbon-feedreversing devices. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a modified arrangement of the feed-reversing devices, and Fig. 4 is an elevation of a 5o portion of said devices hereinafter described.

Like letters refer to like parts in all the figures.

I have illustrated the embodiment of my invention in a machine in which the ink-ribbon is caused to pass across and over the platen and to return, the ribbon-spools being arranged near each other and operatively connected with pawl-and-ratchet mechanism for giving the required movement to the ribbon. It is apparent, however, that by modifications within the skill of persons conversant in the art the invention can be readily applied to that class of type-writing machines in which the inking-ribbon extends from side to side of the machine and in line with the platen.

A represents the base of the machine, having the risers A, in which are seated the ends of the carriage-supporting rod B. Instead of seating the ends of the rod in holes passing-through the risers, I flatten a portion of each end of the rod, as at B, and perfo rate it, as at 13 for the passage of the thumbscrew 0, which is threaded in the riser A, which is provided with a semicircular seat A", adapted to receive the rod.

Now it will be seen as the carriage D is supported on the rod (by means of its arms D, which are perforated to embrace the rod) it only requires the removal of the thumb-screws O to permit of the removal bodily of the carriage and all the parts mounted thereon D represents arms projecting from the carriage and adapted to receive a roller around which the usual sheet-feeding bands pass.

As the general features of construction of the principal elements of the type-writerherein illustrated are fully described in my Patent No. 400,265 and in the companion application, Serial No. 249,684, a detailed descrip- 0 tion of the same will not be necessary, and only such parts are herein illustrated as are essential to the operation of the novel features of the invention to be described.

E is a standard,which supports the ink-ribbon spools E, of which there are two, and their ratchets E these being mounted on the spindles E as shown and more fully described in the application above specified. The ribbon F extends from one spool over and around a guide-bar F, and from thence back to the other spool. In this passage from one spool to the other the ribbon passes between bifurcations G of an oscillating lever G, which is pivotally connected with the standardin one instance by means of a screw G Near the pivot or center of oscillation of the lever Git is extended and bifurcated, slotted, or otherwise adapted, as at G to embrace and operate a pawl-shifting lever H. This lever is pivoted to the standard F.as, for example, at H'and is extended into an opening of any suitable kind formed in a swinging plate I, as at H This swinging plate carries pawltripping pins J and spring-detents J, the latter arranged to operate in connection with the ratchets E of the ribbon-spools. The former-that is, the pins J-operate successively against a pivoted double pawl K, mounted on a link K, pivoted to a rock-arm K on the shaft Kiwhich also carries the bail L, on which all the key-levers M bear, which bail and rock-arm are oscillated by pressure applied to the keys M.

The swinging plate I is pivotally connected with a stud 1, depending from an offset in the standard. At one edge of the swinging plate I there are form ed notches I into which a swinging pin I takes.

In the modifications illustrated in Figs. 4 and 4 the lever G is attached to and so as to move the stud I,Which is mounted in the offset of the standard, and through the stud a pin, screw, or bolt N is passed and enters a slot H formed at the upper end of the lever H. In this instance, instead of entering the lower end of the lever H into an opening formed in the swinging plate, said lever ter minates in a knife-edge seated in a notch formed in a pin H projecting from the upper surface of the swinging plate I.

Referring to Fig. 1, 0 represents a pin, bar, button, or any similar device, one of which may be mounted on the ribbon near each end thereof,which end is connected with the spindleof the ribbon-spool, so that when said device comes into contact with the bifurcated arms of the lever G it tends, through the force communicated to the ribbon by the windingspool, to draw said arm of the lever in the direction that the ribbon is moving, and therefore giving such a movement to the lever as to oscillate the lever H on its pivot, either by the direct contact therewith of the lever G, as illustrated in Fig. 3, or through the direct attachment of the stud I with the lever G. In both cases such a movement of the arm of the lever causes an opposite movement of the swinging plate, which throws one end of the double pawl K out of contact with the ratchet connected with the winding-spool and causes the opposite end of the double pawl to take contact with the ratchet of the paying out or delivering spool, which is now brought into operation and becomes the winding-spool, and continues to be such until the pin, button, or other similar device at the opposite end of tage is secured in that as the strain of the ribbon upon the lever G is exerted force will be stored in the resilient or spring portion of the lever II until the instant that the work of the pawl to be shifted from the winding to the paying-out spool is atits lowest point, and then the pawl is quickly shifted.

It will be apparent from the description above given that each depression of the key M communicates motion to the ink-ribbon, operating the pawl K through the key-lever M, bail L, shaft K rock-arm K and link K, and no further description thereof is necessary.

Various modifications in detail may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is 1. As a means for operating spool-reversing mechanism, a lever connected with a part thereof and projected across the path of both portions of the ribbon, in combination with said reversing mechanism and the ribbon, whereby the lever is shifted by the action of the ribbon thereon, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the ribbon, ribbon-spools, and ribbonspool-reversing mechanism, of a pivoted lever connected with a movable part of the reversing mechanism, which can be moved by tension of the ribbon, said lever being projected across the path of both portions of the ribbon adjacent to each spool and adapted to be shifted by the action of the ribbon thereon, substantially as specifled.

3. The combination, with the ribbon, ribbonspools, and ribbon-spool-reversing mechanism, of a pivoted lever connected with the reversing mechanism and projected across both portions of the ribbon adjacent to the spools and adapted to be shifted by the action of the ribbon thereon, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, with the ribbon, ribbonspools, and ribbon-spool-reversing mechanism, of an operatively-connected slotted lever projected across both portions of theribbon adjacent to the spools and adapted to be shifted by the action of the ribbon thereon, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a type-writer ribbon and its winding-spools and feed-reversing mechanism, of a single two-armed lever and connections between said lever and the reversing mechanism and the ribbon, whereby when a desired portion of the ribbon approaches the turning-point the direction of the movement is by its own action automatically reversed, substantially as specified.

6. The combination, with the inking-ribbon of a type-writing machine and with the shifting devices thereof, of pins secured to the ribbon at or near its ends and intermediate connecting devices for conveying motion from said pins to said shifting devices to automatically reverse the direction of movement of the ribbon, substantially as specified.

7. The combination, with the platen of a type-writing machine, of a ribbon arranged to cross and recross said platen, spools to which the ribbon is connected, pins secured near the ends of the ribbon, ratchets for operating the spools, a double pawl for operating the ratchets, a swinging plate for selecting the pawl, a lever for swinging the plate, and a second lever connected with the ribbon and with the plate-swinging lever, substantially as specified.

8. The combination, with an inking-ribbon and its feed-reversing mechanism, comprising a swinging plate having pawl-controlling devices, of an interposed yielding lever operatively connected with the ribbon, substantially as specified.

9. The combination, with the inking-ribbon F, having the pins 0, the spools E E, ratchets E pawl K, and mechanism for reciprocating the pawl, of the swinging plate I, having pawlcontrolling devices, the lever H, having a yielding arm, and the lever G, projecting into the path of the ribbon, substantially as specified.

10. The combination, with the ribbon-spools and with the mechanism for reversing and rotating the same, of a lever, as G, having an arm arranged in the path of the ribbon, a secondary lever having a resilient arm and connected with the lever G, and a device for conveying motion from said lever G to the secondary lever, substantially as shown and described.

11. The combination, with the ribbon-spools E E and with the mechanism for rotating the same and the reversing mechanism, of a lever, as G, projecting into the path of the ribbon and operatively connected with the ribbon-spool-reversing mechanism, said connection comprising a lever one arm of which is resilient and an oscillating portion having a projecting pin, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES SPIRO.

Witnesses:

GEORGE J. KENNY, WM. J. KENNY. 

